As reported earlier, AT&T is now letting prepaid GoPhone customers use LTE 4G data on any capable device including the iPhone 5.

However, more changes are coming. GoPhone customer care reps are telling users that effective June 20, add-on data packages will no longer be available on the $50 GoPhone monthly plan and only the $5 - 50MB add-on will be available to $25 plan users.

If you doubted the veracity of GoPhone customer care reps, AT&T is sending $25 and $50 plan users texts confirming the end of data packages. $25 Plan users are seeing this message:

"As of 6/20, the $5/50MB data package will continue to be offered on your rate plan. All other data packages will be discontinued. Auto-renewal of those data packages will be canceled."

The message to $50 Plan users says:

"AT&T Free Msg: Starting 6/20, data packages will no longer be available for Smartphones on the $50 plan. You can continue to use Wi-Fi data, or choose a new Smartphone plan that includes data. We'll send you a message when the new plans are available." In place of the old data packages, users on the $65 plan will reportedly be able add up to 3 GBs of additional non-rollover data for $10 per GB starting June 20.

While AT&T has yet to announce these changes, PrepaidPhoneNews reached out to an AT&T spokesperson and got this statement;

"Beginning June 20, we're making some changes to our AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans to simplify our offers and better align with what customers are choosing and telling us they want. We've begun letting customers know about the changes in advance, and we'll have more information on new, additional plan options soon."

Although lacking in details, the statement does confirm that changes to prepaid plans are occurring on June 20 and that there will also be unspecified new plan options.

The elimination of data packages on lower priced plans is consistent with AT&T's past behavior. Just over a year ago, AT&T removed the data packages from pay as you go and daily plans forcing users who wanted data to switch to a $25 or higher monthly plan. Dropping the $15 and $25 data add-ons would have the similar effect of forcing users who want a useful amount of reasonably priced data to the $65/month plan.

The addition of LTE and visual voicemail and the elimination of the iPhone/4G device ban are welcome changes. But dropping all the data add-ons except the $5 one from the $25 plan is not going to please light data and voice users who are used to buying an occasional $25 add-on and rolling the data over for $5 month.

Originally published May 27, this story has been rewritten and updated with new information including text messages from AT&T to users confirming the elimination of all data add-ons except the $5 package which will only be available with the $25 Plan.

10c/mb is the same rate charged by Ptel and Eco on prepaid, two of the best overall plans. Want a rip-off? Buy Pageplus at 99c; AirVoice at 33c; H20 or Red Pocket at 30c. If you think of this as covering email and light browsing data for a month, it is not so bad. Especially on the AT&T network.

Most people would just read the 10-k, 10-q filings or associated company press releases.

Btw, ARPU is a meaningless number. When I worked as a High Yield Bond Analyst, I got to meet the executives of the leading paging companies (does anyone still use a pager?). It only speaks of the avg revenue and doesn't address the cost side.

I used to use the 10cent GoPhone plan with a feature phone and averaged about $12.00 a month using a data package...now I pay between $15 and $20 per month using an Iphone 3GS on Consumer Cellular...I wonder if I could sneak my Iphone onto the 10cent plan and buy a data package...that would work out to $13.00 a month(if paid quarterly)...

for me, maybe use 100 meg per month because usually on wifi. so if this is true, this means for me: pay $25 to get 1 gig data for now while you can. be happy with that. use it judiciously. and pay $5 a month to keep it rolling over for as long as you can. assuming they allow the rollovers. and when it's gone, then it's $5 everytime as you run out.

hmm, have to look at airvoice again. don't want to do tmobile or any tmo mvno because of their spotty 3G coverage. sitting on my desk, have an airvoice sim card waiting for me to activate and switch to....

This gap between Aio and GoPhone opens an opportunity for Verizon to sweep in and pick up those dissatisfied with lack of Aio speed and GoPhone's exhorbitant pricing. All Verizon needs to do is maybe start with it's 2GB and 4GB prepaid offerings and see how things go or to prevent dilution of their brand turn to Page Plus. Maybe they up the prepaid prices by 5.00 per offering?

I read on THE VERGE that the new HTC ONE (M7) that is being directly sold at the HTC Store can utilize the LTE from B-O-T-H At&t and T-MOBILE...If this is correct, is it correct to assume that there would be 2G & 3G connections with BOTH At&t and TMOBILE as well? Do you think this is the inevitable universality of GSM-Sim phones, where FINALLY a GSM phone will function EQUALLY on different carriers?...Would be terrific, if true!

However there are over 40 different LTE bands defined and over 30 are actually in use somewhere in the world. For UTMS/HSPA there are 23 bands (15 currently deployed). I don't know if we will ever see a singe device that works on all those bands

ATT should reconsider their pricing if they want GoPhone to make a profit. In my opinion it should be 60 dollars for unlimited call and text along with 2gb of data. Then charge 10 dollars for 1gb as extra data and keep the rollover policy on the data.

Re the Freedom Pop comments...I do have the 3.99$ FP hotspot plan as well a Iphone 3GS on Consumer Cellular...as far as the experience goes...it takes about 45 seconds for the FP hotspot to turn on,acquire a 3G or 4G network...not the ideal experience...but it is very cheap...FP will eventually have a "sleeve" for the Iphone(pending FCC approval) which will be a faster smoother experience...

Yes, the sleeve is very late because they put its cellular radio right up against the radio in the iPhone 4/4s, and the FCC has never tested that config before. Freepop says the iPhone 5 sleeve will be a thinner, different design (with no battery booster), so no FCC problems. They are also supposed to release a 'LTE clip' for WiFi iPads later this year. Clips on to the iPad, Sprint LTE.

"AT&T Free Msg: Starting 6/20, data packages will no longer be available for Smartphones on the $50 plan. You can continue to use Wi-Fi data, or choose a new Smartphone plan that includes data. We'll send you a message when the new plans are available."

Yes, I've been on the $50 plan for more than a year. The text message does hint at new plans that are apparently coming but I haven't received any new info and I don't bother calling CS, just to have different reps telling me different things.

Att is crazy, They need to lower those plans if they want my business, why would I switch when I'm only paying $40 with Boost Mobile and I get super fast up to 2.5GB of LTE and unlimited 3g after that.

The trouble is that Sprint's LTE coverage is not nearly as comprehensive as AT&T. Where I live, if I want LTE, I've got a choice between AT&T and Verizon. It isn't much of a choice. If and when LTE becomes available on Boost in my area, I'll consider becoming a Boost customer.

sounds like to me that AT&T wants the $50 plan to be only for dumb phones since the $50 plan does have unlimited data but only for dumb phones.

so, that leaves the $65 plan for the smartphones users who AT&T may really want and who may be willing to spend the money. and the $25 plan + the $5 data package would be for the those folks with smartphones who may not need much since they may make very few calls and may use a lot of wifi when at home or work and may only need data when they are out elsewhere where there is no wifi. at least, it sounds like AT&T is giving smartphone users at least those two plans ($65 and $25). if AT&T took away the $25 plan and not provide at least the $5 data package, then there may definitely be more of a mass exodus away from GoPhone.

personally, myself can live with the $25 plan with the $5 data package and with the occasional $5 refills when data is running low (because using wifi most of the time). the $5 refills would be like another starbucks coffee or two for me as suggested in a previous comment above.

I got my text from AT&T two weeks ago. That day, my BF got me switched over to Boost which is his carrier. I will say that AT&T reps are a**holes. They were trying their hardest to get me to switch over to a post paid service. I'll never go back to AT&T.

would like to think that those CSRs are in error where those CSRs are idiots who are confusing the $25 plan with the $50-plan-no-data-packages.

but if not, would guess that other new monthly plans with data included could be on the way. yet it looks bleak if those CSRs are speaking the truth. may have to get my airvoice sim card ready to activate.... sigh.

After talking to 2 611, and accidentally getting a line number porting guy (!), I FINALLY got a supervisor named Ian that assures me that with my $25 / month (250 voice min that don't roll over) I can continue to see my data plan roll over every month. Yes I will only be able to purchase the $5/50 Meg option but I can 'stack' up to 3 Gigs ($75) on my plan before June 20th. (except it won't let you take a 2+Gig to 3, you need to be down to 1.9 Gig to purchase the third one.)

So I will getting one $25/1Gig on June 19 and live with $5/50 after that.

Well the changes are available to see online today. There's new $60, $35 and $40 plans. The $60 gives you the PRIVLEDGE of buying 1 Gb for $10 if/when you use up the 2 Gb you get each month. The $40 comes with 200MB with $5/100Mb available afterwards. And the $35 is unlimited!!! Go Figure!

So after I run out my 2.5 Gig accumulation (which might take forever!) I'll switch to the $35 or $40 plan.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that if you move off of the $25 plan you may not be able to move back to it within a period of time or -someday- at all. They've done this in the past. SIGH!